History Franchise / Rambo

Both the films and the character have enjoyed massive success and popularity, and - alongside the ''Rocky'' series - catapulted Stallone to the position of a major action hero and film star. After the release of the first three ''Rambo'' films, Morrell went on to write the novelizations of the first two ''Rambo'' sequels because he wanted to include characterization that he felt wasn't in said sequels. There was also [[AnimatedAdaptation a 1986 animated TV series]] called ''WesternAnimation/RamboTheForceOfFreedom'' that lasted 65 episodes and spawned a line of toys; [[ComicBookAdaptation a few comic books starring the character]]; soundtrack albums for all the films (but not the animated series, which mainly tracked in Music/JerryGoldsmith's score for the second one); and many video games including the NES version of ''Rambo'' and the Sega Master System versions of ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' and ''Rambo III''. Sega also released an arcade light gun "Rambo" game back in 2008, and it is perhaps a distillation of what makes the Rambo franchise awesome, [[SoundtrackDissonance though, bizarrely, had a rap soundtrack]].

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Both the films and the character have enjoyed massive success and popularity, and - alongside the ''Rocky'' series - catapulted Stallone to the position of a major action hero and film star. After the release of the first three ''Rambo'' films, Morrell went on to write the novelizations of the first two ''Rambo'' sequels because he wanted to include characterization that he felt wasn't in said sequels. There was also [[AnimatedAdaptation a 1986 animated TV series]] called ''WesternAnimation/RamboTheForceOfFreedom'' that lasted 65 episodes and spawned a line of toys; [[ComicBookAdaptation a few comic books starring the character]]; soundtrack albums for all the films (but not the animated series, which mainly tracked in Music/JerryGoldsmith's score for the second one); and many video games including the [[VideoGame/{{Rambo}} NES version of ''Rambo'' ''Rambo'']] and the Sega Master System versions of ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' and ''Rambo III''. Sega also released an arcade light gun "Rambo" game back in 2008, and it is perhaps a distillation of what makes the Rambo franchise awesome, [[SoundtrackDissonance though, bizarrely, had a rap soundtrack]].

* ButThouMust: At the beginning of the NES version, Commander Trautman gives Rambo a mission that may be difficult. If the player chooses, "I feel safer in prison," the commander won't take no for an answer and will keep repeating that until the player chooses, "I'm not afraid of death."* BalefulPolymorph: During the ending of the NES adaptation of ''First Blood: Part II'', the player can throw the kanji of "anger" (怒) at Murdock, which turns him into a frog.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Co's death in the NES version occurs during a conversation cutscene that sort of mirrors the events of the movie. Skipping the conversation skips her death scene. [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything The developers]] actually accounted for this in the ending.* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything: Late in the NES game, Co appears in front of a waterfall. Talking with her (as most players will do by habit) triggers a conversation in which she is [[PlotlineDeath shot and killed]]. Run past her without talking, however, and she will appear at the end, alive and well, with dialogue specific to the ending.

Reason: NES game has an article. Linking it, and migrated NES tropes over there. (they're not deleted, just moved)

A series of action/drama films starring Creator/SylvesterStallone as [[ShellShockedVeteran emotionally troubled]] [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam War]] veteran John Rambo, who was a former member of the United States Army Special Forces, a Green Beret, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. ''First Blood'', released in 1982 and the first film in the series, was based on the [[Literature/FirstBlood 1972 David Morrell novel of the same name]]. The character and franchise became very famous and [[PersonAsVerb a verbal shorthand]] to describe a OneManArmy type of badass.

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A series of action/drama films starring Creator/SylvesterStallone as [[ShellShockedVeteran emotionally troubled]] [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam War]] veteran [[TheVietnamVet veteran]] John Rambo, who was a former member of the United States Army Special Forces, a Green Beret, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. ''First Blood'', released in 1982 and the first film in the series, was based on the [[Literature/FirstBlood 1972 David Morrell novel of the same name]]. The character and franchise became very famous and [[PersonAsVerb a verbal shorthand]] to describe a OneManArmy type of badass.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Especially the third and fourth movies (focusing on the Soviet war in Afghanistan and Burmese insurrection in Karen State, specifically) but also the second, which is based on an UrbanLegend about [=POWs=] from the VietnamWar.

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* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Especially the third and fourth movies (focusing on the Soviet war in Afghanistan and Burmese insurrection in Karen State, specifically) but also the second, which is based on an UrbanLegend about [=POWs=] from the VietnamWar.UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar.

Both the films and the character have enjoyed massive success and popularity, and - alongside the ''Rocky'' series - catapulted Stallone to the position of a major action hero and film star. After the release of the first three ''Rambo'' films, Morrell went on to write the novelizations of the first two ''Rambo'' sequels because he wanted to include characterization that he felt wasn't in said sequels. There was also [[AnimatedAdaptation a 1986 animated TV series]] called ''WesternAnimation/RamboTheForceOfFreedom'' that lasted 65 episodes and spawned a line of toys; [[ComicBookAdaptation a few comic books starring the character]]; soundtrack albums for all the films (but not the animated series, which mainly tracked in JerryGoldsmith's score for the second one); and many video games including the NES version of ''Rambo'' and the Sega Master System versions of ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' and ''Rambo III''. Sega also released an arcade light gun "Rambo" game back in 2008, and it is perhaps a distillation of what makes the Rambo franchise awesome, [[SoundtrackDissonance though, bizarrely, had a rap soundtrack]].

to:

Both the films and the character have enjoyed massive success and popularity, and - alongside the ''Rocky'' series - catapulted Stallone to the position of a major action hero and film star. After the release of the first three ''Rambo'' films, Morrell went on to write the novelizations of the first two ''Rambo'' sequels because he wanted to include characterization that he felt wasn't in said sequels. There was also [[AnimatedAdaptation a 1986 animated TV series]] called ''WesternAnimation/RamboTheForceOfFreedom'' that lasted 65 episodes and spawned a line of toys; [[ComicBookAdaptation a few comic books starring the character]]; soundtrack albums for all the films (but not the animated series, which mainly tracked in JerryGoldsmith's Music/JerryGoldsmith's score for the second one); and many video games including the NES version of ''Rambo'' and the Sega Master System versions of ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' and ''Rambo III''. Sega also released an arcade light gun "Rambo" game back in 2008, and it is perhaps a distillation of what makes the Rambo franchise awesome, [[SoundtrackDissonance though, bizarrely, had a rap soundtrack]].

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Say it out loud: John. RAMBO. This name oozes pure testosterone and has been widely adapted as a synonym for raging {{badass}}. It also helps that in Japanese (乱暴, ''rambou'') it means ''[[MeaningfulName violent, rough, lawless.]]''. The character was named after a breed of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo_apple apple]] which was, in turn, named after a Swedish-American immigrant.

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* AwesomeMcCoolname: Say it out loud: John. RAMBO. This name oozes pure testosterone and has been widely adapted as a synonym for raging {{badass}}.badass. It also helps that in Japanese (乱暴, ''rambou'') it means ''[[MeaningfulName violent, rough, lawless.]]''. The character was named after a breed of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo_apple apple]] which was, in turn, named after a Swedish-American immigrant.

* {{Flanderization}}: John Rambo killed precisely one guy in the first film, which was completely accidental and a KarmicDeath. Galt, the guy who was killed, had repeatedly gone out of his way to antagonise Rambo, defy orders not to shoot at him and had attempted to murder him in cold blood several times. From II onward however, Rambo was a {{Badass}} who made mountains of bodies out of practically everyone in his way.

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* {{Flanderization}}: John Rambo killed precisely one guy in the first film, which was completely accidental and a KarmicDeath. Galt, the guy who was killed, had repeatedly gone out of his way to antagonise Rambo, defy orders not to shoot at him and had attempted to murder him in cold blood several times. From II onward however, Rambo was a {{Badass}} badass who made mountains of bodies out of practically everyone in his way.

A fifth Rambo film was planned, and details varied as to the plot of the film (one potential plot would have seen Rambo face off against some sort of supernatural/alien creature). In 2014, the fifth film's title was announced to be ''Rambo: Last Blood''.

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A fifth Rambo film was planned, and details varied as to the plot of the film (one potential plot would have seen Rambo face off against some sort of supernatural/alien creature). In 2014, the fifth film's title was announced to be ''Rambo: Last Blood''.Blood''. However, Stallone ultimately decided against it, and chose to retire the character.

Prior to ''Rambo'', however, a cute and heartwarming {{Gaiden}} of sorts was created in 2008 by British director Garth Jennings called ''Film/SonOfRambow''. The film details the misadventures of two boys in 1982 who tried to remake ''First Blood'' with a bulky VHS-Camera and the vibrant imagination of ten year olds. SylvesterStallone himself is said to have loved the film.

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Prior to ''Rambo'', however, a cute and heartwarming {{Gaiden}} of sorts was created in 2008 by British director Garth Jennings called ''Film/SonOfRambow''. The film details the misadventures of two boys in 1982 who tried to remake ''First Blood'' with a bulky VHS-Camera and the vibrant imagination of ten year olds. SylvesterStallone Creator/SylvesterStallone himself is said to have loved the film.

* ThePerilsOfBeingTheBest: Being the best meant Rambo kept getting sent on traumatizing, psychologically damaging missions, and being the best means that regardless of how badly he may want to retire, he keeps getting recruited all over again and thrown back into the meat grinder.

* SequelNumberSnarl: The films in the series are entitled ''First Blood'', ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'', ''Rambo III'', and ''Rambo''. This caused film critic RogerEbert to wonder, in his review of ''Rambo III'', "shouldn't this film be titled ''Rambo II: First Blood Part III''?" Outside the US, this complication was often fixed by changing the title of the films to some variant of ''Rambo: [[TheForeignSubtitle (Subtitle)]]'' and having NumberedSequels.

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* SequelNumberSnarl: The films in the series are entitled ''First Blood'', ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'', ''Rambo III'', and ''Rambo''. This caused film critic RogerEbert Creator/RogerEbert to wonder, in his review of ''Rambo III'', "shouldn't this film be titled ''Rambo II: First Blood Part III''?" Outside the US, this complication was often fixed by changing the title of the films to some variant of ''Rambo: [[TheForeignSubtitle (Subtitle)]]'' and having NumberedSequels.

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